Banned on the Hill (and in Europe!)

What about the truth? Has the Canadian government’s commitment to its policies superseded its commitment to the truth?

What about the government’s duty to protect its citizens? Is it right for the Canadian Government to do everything it can to protect its economic interests, even if it means harming the well-being, or destroying opportunities, for some of its citizens? And if so, who decides which citizens or groups are disposable?

What about free speech? Do these actions by the government — deliberate efforts to silence dissenting opinions about its policies — put the Canadian right to Freedom of Speech at risk?

Harper Government Guts Environment Programmes
Canada’s Stephen Harper government is spending more than 60 billion dollars on new military jets and warships while slashing more than 200 million dollars in funding for research and monitoring of the environment. IPS, Stephen Leahy

VOICES-VOIX SITE: The facts: Silencing Canadian voices.
Unfortunately, in recent years, successive governments have not respected these democratic principles. Instead, Canadian organizations and individuals who disagree with the government have been attacked, muzzled, censored, marginalized, and bullied. Institutions for knowledge and research that shed critical light on the government’s actions have been abolished, sabotaged, undermined, and weakened. Voices-Voix

Fear and loathing in OttawaLinda Diebel, Toronto Star
“I should be able to speak my mind on political issues, but I’ve found members of the Conservative party seem to be more sensitive to criticism than other parties,” she says. “They make it very personal.” Heather MacIvor, University of Windsor

Psst… Harper Wins CAJ secrecy award
“Harper’s white-knuckled death grip on public information makes this the easiest decision the cabal of judges has ever rendered,” said CAJ President Mary Agnes Welch. “He’s gone beyond merely gagging cabinet ministers and professional civil servants, stalling access to information requests and blackballing reporters who ask tough questions. He has built a pervasive government apparatus whose sole purpose is to strangle the flow of public information.” Canadian Assoc of Journalists

Harper’s Humiliating Muzzle on Scientists: Canada is becoming a global joke as our world-class experts are prohibited from speaking. The scandal is growing at Environment Canada of how Canadian climate researchers are being “muzzled” by draconian policies of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The Tyee